LaHood announces rail industry plan to hire 5,000 veterans

The White House touted the announcement as it looks for ways to promote President Obama's jobs record in the face of recent weak unemployment numbers.

AAR President Ed Hamberger agreed with LaHood, saying “[R]ailroads offer people the chance to have true life-long careers in well-paying jobs,”

“We are proud to offer our heroes transitioning from military service the opportunity for another career in service to our country,” Hamberger said in a statement.

A White House news release touting the hiring initiative said military veterans already make up 25 percent of the rail industry's existing workforce.

The executive director of the White House's Joining Forces initiative for veteran hiring said it was a natural fit.

“The commitment from AAR and companies in the railway industry to veteran hiring is exactly the type of effort we hoped to see when the first lady and Dr. Biden launched Joining Forces last year – companies stepping up to hire our nation’s veterans," Joining Forces Executive Director Brad Cooper said in a statement. "The railway industry clearly recognizes that hiring veterans is good for their companies’ bottom line, and we are appreciative of their efforts to serve veterans as well as they have served this country.”